Nature
Nature, or the natural world, encompasses the behavior and physiology of animals, plants and minerals
Women’s History Month at the Smithsonian
From a Confederate spy to a deepwater researcher, women are everywhere and the Smithsonian is telling their stories
March 05, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
The Nazi’s Concentration Camp System Was, Somehow, Even Worse Than We Knew
There were tens of thousands more Nazi prisons and concentration camps than anyone previously realized.
March 05, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Miniature African Forest Elephants Could Be Extinct in 10 Years
Ivory poachers slashed the population of the small elephants by 62 percent in the past decade--future losses at those rates will doom the species
March 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Events March 5-7: Understanding Contemporary Art, Québec Microbrews and Lute Player Naseer Shamma
This week, learn how to interpret contemporary art, taste some Canadian microbrews and listen to one of the world's best flute players
March 04, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
The American Bumblebee Is Crashing, Too
Colony Collapse Disorder targets honey bees. But now American bumblebees are missing, too
March 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Biking Ecuador’s Spectacular Avenue of the Volcanoes
Home to a string of high peaks, including 20,564-foot Chimborazo, the area offers some of the finest cycling, hiking and adventuring country anywhere
March 03, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
What Does the Unbelievably Bad Air Quality in Beijing Do to the Human Body?
The level of soot in Beijing's air is off the charts, leading to higher risks of lung cancer, heart attacks and other health problems
March 01, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Why Did (or Didn’t) the Meerkat Cross the Road?
Dominant female meerkats hang back to let subordinates cross busy, dangerous roads first
March 01, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
A Visit to the Natonal Zoo’s “Ark of Life”
Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough journeys to Front Royal, Virginia, to find out the latest in animal research
March 2013 |
By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Introducing the Dom Pedro Aquamarine
The one gem that can rival the Hope Diamond is finally on display at the Natural History Museum
March 2013 |
By Jerry Adler
Where Men See White, Women See Ecru
Neuroscientists prove what we always suspected: the two sexes see the world differently
March 2013 |
By Libby Copeland
The Lost Tribes of the Amazon
Often described as “uncontacted,” isolated groups living deep in the South American forest resist the ways of the modern world—at least for now
March 2013 |
By Joshua Hammer
Bioluminescence: Light Is Much Better, Down Where It’s Wetter
From tracking a giant squid to decoding jellyfish alarms in the Gulf, a depth-defying scientist plunges under the sea
March 2013 |
By Abigail Tucker
The Meanest Girls at the Watering Hole
A scientist studying female elephants—usually portrayed as cooperative—makes a surprising observation about their behavior
March 2013 |
By Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell
How Two Women Ended the Deadly Feather Trade
100 years ago, birds like the snowy egret were on the brink of extinction, all because of their sought-after plumage
March 2013 |
By William Souder
Brian Skerry Has the World’s Best Job: Ocean Photographer
The freelancer’s new exhibit at the Natural History Museum captures the beauty, and fragility, of sea life
March 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Jane Goodall Reveals Her Lifelong Fascination With…Plants?
After studying chimpanzees for decades, the celebrated scientist turns her penetrating gaze on another life-form
March 2013 |
By Jane Goodall
Could Disappearing Wild Insects Trigger a Global Crop Crisis?
Three-quarters of the world’s crops—including fruits, grains and nuts—depend on pollination, and the insects responsible are disappearing
February 28, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Could Spider Silk Stop a Moving Train?
Spiderman really could have stopped that train from falling, so long as his silk resembled that produced by the Darwin's bark spider
February 28, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
